The Therapist
by Stachgasm
Summary: AU; Yaoi - Naruto, lifegaurd, finds an unlikely friendship with a local rocker, Sasuke, trying to live his dream and make it big. Neither knew what they were getting into. Bear witness to an epic tragedy unraveling behind closed doors. NSN.
1. Chapter 1

Hey thereee, . -salutes-

Swingin' by to drop off a few chapters of a WIP that I thought you might enjoy.

It's eventually a NaruSasuNaru... of which I haven't exactly decided yet anddd I'm not really worried about it.

Um... so yeah, that's about it for now. Comments/reviews/critiques are always encouragement.

* * *

Light blond hair whipped around and shimmered under the stifling summer sun and sea breeze as throngs of eager people bustled about in the gritty sand.

High up over top of the lively heads, reclining lazily in a pristine white chair, was Naruto Uzumaki: the proud lifeguard of one of the busiest portions of shore making up Myrtle Beach.

He grinned and lazily saluted a few ogling girls as he stretched, showing off his bronzed, toned abs. The girls giggled and ran into the water. Cerulean eyes couldn't help but follow the scantily clad behinds as they bounced oh-so deliciously into the sea. "Ahh, man, this job is fucking sweet." He drawled and turned his eyes skyward, still wearing the grin.

"Uzumaki! Eyes on the water!"

Naruto jumped a bit, startled, before rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Eh heh heh, my bad man." He smiled down at a fellow lifeguard zipped tight in his green, full-body wetsuit. "It's the girls. They make it hard to stay focused." He tried to explain.

"Do not let the bounty of your youth get the best of you! Lives are in your hands when you're in that seat!"

Naruto bit his lip to keep from chuckling. Lee was always so enthusiastic about 'the years of youth.' "Right, right. Youth!" He placated. "Got it." The blond made a gun with his fingers and pretended to shoot Lee, who promptly jogged away.

The wind whirled through the sweating, tanned bodies of the people lounging and playing Frisbee below him and the waves crashed methodically against the shore of wake-boarders and beach joggers. Naruto shifted positions in his chair, feeling the heat of the summer sun beating upon him even through the umbrella built overhead.

"Shit is too quiet around here, dude! Where the hell is your radio today?"

"Kiba! 'Ey, what the hell are you doing here? Thought you had some deal with your parents today out of town." Naruto greeted as the brunette climbed up the lattice of the chair to hang off the side up by his friend.

"I ditched." He chuckled and turned his ball-cap backwards. "Shikamaru said the weather was going to be perrrrfect for surfing… " His eyes roamed over the blue waves, sparkling. "And shit, he was right."

Naruto laughed. "You're going to be in so much shit."

Kiba shrugged. "Worth it. When do you get off?"

Naruto whipped out his cell and checked the time. "In fifteen." At his side, a grin spread wide across Kiba's tattooed cheeks. "Sweet. Come hit the waves with me!"

Naruto ran his fingers through his blond locks, tousling them. "Man, I can't. It's Friday." He turned apologetic eyes towards his friend's. Kiba leaned back and shook the lattice of the share, frustrated. "Sucksss. Can't you ditch the quack like I ditched my 'rents?"

Naruto shook his head. "Sorry dude. Another time, I promise."

"Fine, fine." Kiba jumped down with a thud in the baking sand. "I'll just have to surf by myself."

"It's karma!" Naruto wiggled his fingers dramatically and sniggered when Kiba jumped and slapped his leg before waving and running off to suit up.

Naruto wished that he _could_ surf with Kiba. He wished that his childhood wasn't so fucked up that he needed counseling for it. But wishing never accomplished anything.

Miles down the shore, a rather dense crowd of beach dwellers packed in tight around a stage set up in the sand up by the shore shacks. It was a small gig, free to any on the beach who stop to listen to the local bands attempting to gain fame.

A new band mounted the steps and as the lead singer donned his ruby red guitar and adjusted the mic, hordes of girls flocked to the stage like he was a siren's call. "Sasuke! Sasuke!" They cried, jumping up and pushing their way to the very front.

All of a sudden, the drums kicked in and shortly, Sasuke began singing. The crowd cheered and danced along lazily, and mostly drunkenly, with the near perfect cover of "Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits.

Sasuke was proud of his band. Hell, he _had_ to be proud of Taka since he was in constant defiance of his disapproving parents with each step he'd taken in the direction.

He'd put them together himself. The only problem was he couldn't seem to get the publicity he desired so he'd taken to opening and closing each gig he booked with covers - songs that people knew and could sing along with when they rocked it out the Taka way.

Sasuke lidded his eyes and glanced over at Suigetsu who played bass for this particular song, but mainly stuck to second guitar. His signature white hair was mussed from nodding his head dramatically in time with the music and his lavender eyes scanned the crowd with excitement.

To the raven's right, Juugo's fingers pounded the keyboard flawlessly. The carrot-topped man usually was Taka's bass but Sasuke insisted that he doubled as the band's piano player.

And finally, behind him, was _that_ woman. Karin. Sasuke was not particularly fond of her for various reasons, but he could not deny that she was the only drummer he desired for his band. She had the skills and the talent and it was undeniable that he'd be hard pressed to find better. And logistically, he supposed it would help to draw fans in if they possessed at least one woman in their group.

Sasuke wanted his band to succeed more than anything and he would do whatever it took to make that dream come into fruition. He would prove to his parents, to his brother… to _himself_ that he could do this. Because fuck, if he didn't, he would have nothing. He risked everything just to get this far and it wasn't even half way to the goal line.

Just as the crowd seemed to really be feeling them, they played through the enforced limit of six songs all too soon. Sasuke turned and wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand before picking up the acoustic guitar and adjusting the tune. The raven forced a kink from his neck and before even turning around, began the opening notes to this show's closer-cover, "They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong," keeping the consistency with White Rabbits.

About half way through the song, Juugo switched from piano to Sasuke's previously discarded electric guitar which had never been a problem for them in rehearsal… but it certainly was tonight.

The stage was large, but excessively cluttered, and the cords were crossing from bands mounting and leaving the stage so frequently and carelessly. As Juugo walked back to his post and began to play, the cord to the amp ran taunt. It was twirled around Suigetsu's bass amp and as he walked, the amp began to slide across the floor until finally the line came unplugged from the guitar violently… but not before Suigetsu had tripped backwards over it.

Screeching feedback echoed over Sasuke's vocals and he visibly winced and spun to see what the hell had happened. The white haired man was scowling and pointing across the stage at Juugo accusingly, yelling something obscene. Juugo was holding his hands in the air passively and quickly running to plug the ruby beauty back in, fumbling nervously with the cords as Suigetsu rubbed his ass.

Sasuke stepped away from the mic, never missing a beat in his strumming, and ordered in a murderous tone, "Get your shit back together. _Now_."

Snickers from the crowd reached his ears and he closed his eyes against them and resumed his place at the mic, hearing Karin fumble slightly in uncertainty as it was just her drums and Sasuke's acoustic. Sasuke turned around and locked eyes with her, nodding his head ever so slightly in encouragement for her to continue despite the shitstorm.

Suigetsu threw Juugo's cord from around his amp and entered the song fearlessly, but his fall had knocked a tuning peg and a wrong note echoed discordantly. "Fuck." Sasuke whispered, steeling himself against the feeling of disappointment and embarrassment.

Just moments before the song ended, both Juugo and Suigetsu had managed to pick it back up and continue until it was through but to Sasuke, the damage had already been done. There was never anything he could accept less than perfection for the amount of time, effort and money they'd sunk into this.

After the song ended, the raven quickly gathered his equipment and exited the stage, wasting absolutely no time.

Back at the van they somehow managed to transport all of their equipment in, the rest of Taka joined him hesitantly.

"Sasuke, I… I'm sorry. The cord was-" Juugo tried but Sasuke turned and glared. "I don't want to hear it. There aren't any excuses for this."

"The crowd still loved us. They cheered even after the fuck up." Suigetsu enlightened while sliding his bass into the back nonchalantly. "Out of pity, Suigetsu." The raven's deep voice boomed even though it was quietly level while he sat in the back of the van.

"Really, guys. How the hell could you screw up that song so royally?" Karin lectured with her hands on her hips. "Honestly, how many times have you practiced that, Juugo. Sasuke's right, there's absolutely no excuses for what happened."

"Oh, lay the hell off him. It's a live show, shit goes wrong all the time in live shows. It's _normal. _And you're only bitching because it wasn't you that fucked up." Suigetsu leaned against the van casually and pointed a finger at the woman.

"Live shows are all we get. _This_ is how we are defined by everyone who hears us. Do you understand that, Suigetsu?" Sasuke sat motionlessly while his onyx orbs locked onto lavender. The bassist shrugged. "Sure, but it's normal."

Sasuke was on his feet with a hand fisted in the man's clothing in less than a second. He snarled and slammed him against the truck violently. "Do you fucking understand how much I've sank into building this band! You are here because I _let_ you be here, Suigetsu. It's _my_ money funding your ass because I thought you and I were on the same page. Are we not?" His fist tightened in Suigetsu's already torn t-shirt.

Juugo rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder in attempt to calm him but the raven ignored it and seethed just inches away from Suigetsu's face. "Alright man, alright. I get it. It's just… you know, sometimes you make a big deal over something that's just a part of the road we're on."

Silence fell between them thick, something tangible. Sasuke's eyes bored holes into Suigetsu who stared just as intensely in return. Then suddenly, in an explosion of anger and frustration, Sasuke drew his fist back and ran it into Suigetsu's jaw with no restraint.

Suigetsu's eyes grew wide and a hand came slowly to his rapidly swelling face as Sasuke clenched his jaw. "Failure is _not_ part of the road I am on." His words brimming with unspoken threats and implications, he turned and left.

Once positive he was out of view, he dug through his pocket for his cell, flipped it open mid-stride and hit 1 on his speed dial. The jeers and snickers from the crowd were echoing in his head as it rang and rang and rang. With each passing moment, it felt as if Sasuke was being swallowed by his frustration.

Sasuke flipped his phone shut and whispered, "Fuck you, Itachi." Only steps later, he called the only other person he had in his life - one which he had to _pay_ to be there.

"I need an appointment with Dr. Hatake."

Naruto sat his backpack down on the floor and plopped into the plush leather chair, head falling back immediately.

"Rough day?" Kakashi Hatake, professional and city-celebrated therapist, questioned with his feet propped upon his redwood desk and a pen tucked behind an ear.

Naruto sat there for a while relaxing in the cool air-conditioned room. "No. No, actually it was a pretty good day." He raised his head and smiled slightly. "Just making sure it stays that way."

Kakashi smiled and nodded. "How have you been sleeping?"

"You know, about the same. Three or four hours at a time." The blond mop fell back once again and rolled lazily to the side.

"Is it the nightmares?" The silver haired man questioned, drawing his pen from behind his ear languidly. Naruto nodded. "Are you recalling anything from them?"

"…No."

Kakashi scribbled. "Are you practicing what I suggested?"

"The whole wake up and write it down thing?" The doctor nodded. "Yeah but it doesn't help. It's just the same thing over and over and I always wake up at the same damn part."

"And what part is that?"

Naruto sighed and sat forward, resting his elbows upon his knees and cradled his head in his hands. "This damn player-piano starts playing some song… some classical one. And there's this bird in a cage that starts squawking. Then I wake up."

"What color is the bird?"

Naruto furrowed his brow. "Uh… it's…" He thought for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "I don't know."

Kakashi wrote on his pad again. "Next time you have that dream, try to remember to write it down." He wrote a moment longer before questioning, "And how is school?"

"Good. School is good."

"Naruto."

"What! It's good, man!"

"…Naruto."

The blond sighed and smiled. "Math is kicking my ass, alright?"

Kakashi returned the grin and tucked his pen back into the bed behind his ear. "And your social life?"

"Eh, you know. It's booming. I'm the man." Naruto beamed and Kakashi chuckled. "Make sure you're not spreading yourself too thin between your friends, work and school." The doctor advised before adding, "You've been doing very well lately, Naruto."

"Thanks, doc. I try." He shrugged. Just then there was quite a commotion outside the office's door. A deep voice nearly echoed inside the room. "Let me the fuck in!" It was proceeded by a few banging noises and a loud slam of a door. Naruto raised his eyebrows at Kakashi who shrugged and reached for the intercom, feet still propped upon the desk. "Iruka. Everything alright out there?"

A few moments later, the secretary finally replied. "Yeah… there's just a client who's um… adamant about seeing you now despite his appointment is scheduled later this afternoon. He's retreated to the bathroom for now."

Kakashi's eyes flashed briefly with recognition and a small smirk played upon his lips. "Ah. Naruto, do you mind if we cut the session short? I'm afraid there's a bit of a time-bomb in the men's restroom at the moment."

The tanned lifeguard chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, it's cool." He grabbed his bag. "I better get outta here before the poor bastard explodes. Gotta say though, I didn't know someone around here had bigger issues than me." He joked and paused in the doorway. He raised a hand to Kakashi. "See ya, doc."

The silver haired man shook his head and stood to stretch. He sauntered over to lean in the doorway and just as the door shut behind Naruto, Sasuke emerged from the bathroom looking extremely petulant. "Get your ass in here, drama queen. And you're paying for the remainder of my other client's session as well as the time allotted for your scheduled appointment."

Sasuke scowled and pushed passed the man to sit in the leather chair with his arms folded across his chest, back ridged. Kakashi sighed and shut the door quietly behind him before making his way back over to his desk.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Are you sure you're a professional." Sasuke grunted and eyed the man rather impassively. "Why yes, I am quite sure."

"Simply because you are friends with my brother does not mean you can treat me however you please."

Kakashi smiled. "Of course not, Sasuke. Now really, why such an urgency to see me?"

"Taka."

"Always Taka."

"We had a show today on the beach. Juugo and Suigetsu fucked up the closer."

Kakashi's smile dropped and he slowly drew the pen from his ear, unexpectedly becoming qualified as he always did. "And you see this as your own failure?"

The raven snorted. "Taka is my band."

"But Juugo and Suigetsu are not you."

"I punched Suigetsu."

Kakashi paused in his indolent writing and looked up at Sasuke through his lashes studiously. "Why?"

"I felt like it."

"Why?"

"Because he said it was normal."

"That what was normal?"

"Fucking up a live show."

Kakashi resumed writing. "Do you regret it?"

Sasuke's eyes flickered to the window behind the man and back, his face unreadable. "Why would I?"

"Because it's your slip-up that they ruined the closer."

Sasuke was quiet and he licked his lips before tilting his head back cockily. "Fuck you." Kakashi smiled. "This is my job."

"It doesn't change anything. None of it should have happened. We rehearsed too many times for this novice bullshit."

"Sasuke, these things take time and experience. What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. You have to have patience."

"Patience?" The raven chuckled before slamming his fist on the leather arm of the chair. "I don't have the luxury to be patient. My parents have given me one month before I'm on my own. This needs to happen _now_ or Taka is through."

"I presume this is the ultimatum they have given you if you don't start walking the path of a doctor?"

"Of course it is. I have to be just like Itachi or I'm not good enough. Fuck that."

Kakashi tapped the end of his pen against the tablet. "Are you establishing that complex again?"

"No." The raven scowled deeply. "No. I only came here because he wouldn't answer his damn phone."

"He is a surgeon, Sasuke. He's a busy man. Cut him some slack."

"Please. He doesn't need slack. He's perfect. Nothing he does is wrong."

The doctor frowned and rolled his shoulders, regarding Sasuke in silence before jotting something down onto the tablet. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I said I wasn't."

"Of course you aren't. Back to the ultimatum. What are you going to do if they cut you off and you don't have a deal?"

"It isn't an option. We will have a deal."

"Not if you keep failing."

"Stop saying that!" Sasuke stood and braced his hands on the desk. Kakashi 'hmm'd' and wrote once more. "You certainly are unusually animated today."

Sasuke slowly removed his hands from the cherry wood and lowered himself back into the chair, straightening his navy v-neck.

"Just stressed?" Kakashi offered. Sasuke didn't answer, but turned his eyes out the side window. Kakashi raised his brows a bit in amusement and leaned back in his chair. "This is more the Sasuke I am used to analyzing."

"Shut up." The raven's phone began to ring and he dug it out to see it was Itachi calling. He promptly shut the device off and shoved it back in his pocket.

"He's going to worry." Kakashi pointed out. Sasuke shrugged and ran a hand through his hair before standing and making his way to the door. The silver haired man's eyes followed him in silence. Sasuke opened the door and paused, putting his hands in his pockets but refusing to turn around. "We'll have a deal." With that, he left.

Kakashi gave himself a moment and debated on which move to make. Eventually he sighed and picked up the phone receiver, dialing a number with his eyes on a particularly odd shaped cloud outside his window. "Itachi? Your brother was just in to see me."

"Is everything alright?" Came Itachi's monotonous voice through the line. It was an Uchiha trait but Kakashi had known the man long enough to make out how concerned he was.

"You know, I believe he's coming to a breaking point. He told me your parents are planning to cut him off in one month if he doesn't bend to their desires and on top of that he's having trouble with the band. Which, of course, he is reflecting upon himself as his sole liability. Mmm, he also punched Suigetsu today."

On the other end of the line, Itachi was quiet. "…He didn't tell me they were going to cut him off."

"Of course not. He looks for your approval just as much, if not more, than your parents. He wants to succeed for you, too. Sasuke… has a lot of pride, Itachi, and he feels he has to do things himself otherwise he perceives he's not strong enough."

"Where is he?"

"He just left. If you're at the hospital, I'm sure you can manage to get to him."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Kakashi." The line clicked before the doctor even had a chance to respond. He put the handset in its cradle and returned his attention to the oddly shaped cloud.

Itachi found his brother two blocks away from Kakashi's office, sitting on a bench outside an antique music shop. Itachi had known he would be there. When his little brother was troubled, he always found his way to that old oak bench facing the dusty display window of the shop. Ever since he was little and troubled, it had been something of a haven despite sidewalk traffic.

The sun was just setting and the street was nearly empty. Itachi, still in scrubs, pulled over and parked at a meter before j-walking over to the bench.

He sat down beside Sasuke without a word and looked at the instrument arrangement in the window that never seemed to change through the years.

Silence nestled between them comfortably. Itachi cocked his head slightly to the side and rested an arm on the bench behind Sasuke.

"I'm going to buy that violin when we make it big." Sasuke uttered quietly. Itachi's heart lifted a bit. "You've always wanted that, overpriced as it is. Ever since you were little."

"It's not overpriced. An aged violin plays the sweetest. Even a new violin is aged for seventy-years at the least." A flock of birds passed overhead, chirping melodically. "So the maker of the violin will most likely never get to hear his creation played."

Itachi was thoughtful. "That's rather depressing." Sasuke didn't respond. He sat quietly next to Itachi and fixed his gaze on the immaculately carved wood.

"Why didn't you tell me you're going to be cut off in a month."

Sasuke turned his head to look at Itachi. "He told you?" His voice was low and angry. Itachi turned his onyx eyes to his brothers identical ones. "Why didn't _you_ tell me?"

The younger raven shook his head and turned his eyes impassively back towards the display. "Because it doesn't matter."

"And why not, Sasuke?"

"Because we're going to get a record deal."

Itachi studied Sasuke's profile. "How do you know?"

"I'm going to make it happen, Itachi."

"I don't doubt you." When Sasuke kept his eyes fixated upon the violin, Itachi stood and let his hair fall loose about his shoulders before turning and jabbing two fingers into his brother's forehead. "Come on. Let's go grab dinner."

Sasuke swatted at his hand. "Stop fucking doing that. And you're still in your scrubs." He stood anyway and shoved his hands into his worn denim pockets. Itachi smiled and shrugged as they crossed the street together. "So?"

"You're weird. Where are we going?"

"Wherever you want to go, little brother."

Sasuke got in the passenger side of Itachi's sleek black M6 BMV convertible. "Let's go to that Italian place Mom used to take us when Dad worked late. And I'm paying for myself."

Itachi smiled and relented. "You're ridiculous, Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked in return. "Shut the hell up and drive, asshole."


	2. Chapter 2

'Ey-yo.

This story has been up on my y!gal for a while and in the previous chapter over there, I had talked about doing the therapy sessions in a different format because I think there's a lot to be said about reading between the lines and interpreting things for yourself butttt I'm not sure how well it was received. Nonetheless, it is what it is. Enjoy the dialogue, because I'm fairly sure that by the time chapter four is out it will be in discriptive form again.

Onward to post chapter three. Comments please me. 3

* * *

Naruto sat on his floor beside his bed on top of a cluttered mess as he dug underneath it with nerve-wracked hands. "The fuck." He muttered and snatched his hand back violently when it touched something slimy. A little hesitantly, he lifted the bed skirt and peered underneath before snorting. It was an old banana peel.

He left it. The rotten peel wasn't what he was looking for and he was worried that he would forget…

Finally, his questing fingers curled around a slender cylinder. It wasn't a pen, but it'd have to do. He was lucky to even have found the permanent marker in the disarray of his room.

Naruto crawled over to his printer and tugged one of the blank pages free from the cradle. In large print, so it covered the entire page, he wrote, 'The bird is BLUE.'

Sitting back on his heels, eyes admiring the page as if it was something precious he'd lost and now found, he smiled. He had been trying so damn hard to remember the color of that bird when he awoke from his nightmares and the stupid thing had plagued him for nearly a week.

Now, on this glorious Thursday morning, he finally knew that it's lustrous feathers were blue. Hell, he didn't know what that meant or why the color of the bird was important to his therapist - he just felt a weight lift off his shoulders because that damn bird in that cage was blue and he _knew_ it.

Despite just waking up, he was excited and antsy, too hyped up from something he deemed a rather grand personal victory. He hopped up and rubbed some of the sleep from his eyes and tousled his bed-mussed hair before pulling on his black swim trunks.

Brushing his teeth quickly, he stuffed his burnt orange backpack for class. He darted out the front door of his small apartment with a grin and jogged towards the beach, the paper folded and clutched tight in his hand.

He was going to drop by Kakashi's office before class and tell him that his nightmare bird is gloriously blue. The blond chuckled to himself, ridiculously pleased with the minute detail. Today was a going to be a good day.

"Why the hell do we have to do this at the asscrack of dawn!" Suigetsu shouted across the mostly vacant stretch of sand to no one in particular. Sluggishly, he stapled a flier crookedly upon an unsuspecting palm tree.

Sasuke had personally went and roused each member of Taka this morning by dropping a thick stack of glossy fliers on their beds and affectionately greeting, "Get your ass up."

"Because the early bird gets the worm." Juugo offered the clichéd statement to Suigetsu with a smirk as he stapled a page to the post of a fence.

"No, I'll tell you why! It's because Sasuke's a diiiiiiiick!" Suigetsu shouted, head tossed back, bellowing to the heavens. He nearly doubled over in laughter when Sasuke turned to simply glare at the man in the midst of his declaration.

The raven glared death at him and held up his staple gun as if to shoot the man, though his lip twitched as if wanting to smile. Suigetsu, still laughing, held up a hand and clutched at his stomach, completely unfazed. Sasuke shook his head and turned back to the bulletin board to resume posting wearing the smallest of smirks.

Neither Suigetsu or Sasuke had apologized to each other and it was likely to remain that way. When the white haired man had showed up to rehearsal the next day, bitching about how it was too hot in the studio, as he always did, that had been enough for Sasuke.

"Sui, shut your face. People are still sleeping." Karin shook her head at him from up by the shacks. "I'd still be sleeping if it wasn't for Sasuke!" He retorted, slamming another flier onto the same palm, stapling it just as askew as the first.

"Are you retarded! Leave that unfortunate tree alone." She shouted with an accusing finger pointed in his direction.

Sasuke wandered down the shore, away from the racket two were stirring up, and found the next bulletin board. The morning wind whipped through his dark locks and just as he was about to staple a flier into the board, he felt something wrap around his calf.

Reaching down to pick up the clingy piece of paper, his brow furrowed. Footsteps drew his attention from the sloppily scrawled statement as a blond man clad in only black trunks slowed in front of him.

"Thanks." He huffed, out of breath, "Wind snatched it right outta my hand, man."

Sasuke rose his slender brows and held up the paper. "'The bird is blue?'"

Naruto waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it." He held out his hand for the paper.

The raven debated briefly, eyes fearlessly studying the blond's face before reeling the paper in. "You can have your kindergarten homework back once you've answered my questions." He informed stoically.

"Dude…" Naruto was incredulous, but he didn't want to start anything, he just wanted that paper. It was a physical token of his remembrance. "Don't be an asshole. I'm having a good morning." He held out his hand again, locking eyes with the dark haired man.

"You heard me."

"…Okay, bastard. Get on with it." Naruto sighed and grasped the straps of his backpack, shifting his weight impatiently. He just wanted to get to the office to let Kakashi know the good news.

Sasuke smirked in triumph and cocked his head, laying Naruto's precious paper on top of his mound of fliers he held against his chest. "Where do you work?"

"Uh, I work as a lifeguard." Naruto furrowed his brow.

"Have friends?"

The blond shook his head with a frown. "What the shit? Dude, this is a waste of time. Give me my damn paper back."

He made a grab for the paper but Sasuke swiftly sidestepped him. "Just answer the question, moron. Do you have friends or are you a total loser?"

Agitated that a complete stranger was holding something of his for irrelevant, verbal ransom just to piss him off, Naruto growled and made another grab but relented and answered the question. "Yes, of course I have friends. I'm not some grade-A asshole like you."

"Good." Sasuke sidestepped him yet again and grinned at the conviction in the other man's eyes. "Come to our show on Saturday, bring your friends and the paper is yours."

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair and pulled his cell out of his pocket, checking the amount of time he had to waste away making dates with this psychotic bastard before class. If he got the paper back right now, he could just make it to Kakashi's and still get to class on time. He glanced back up at Sasuke, a grin beckoning his lips to stretch at the sheer ludicracy of the situation. "You're kinda a lunatic, ya know that?"

Sasuke smirked. "Better than being an idiot."

"...Alright, fine. Now give me the paper." Naruto held his hand out and locked his gaze with Sasuke's.

The raven held his eyes for a moment before handing him the paper alongside a flier. "I better see you there, bird boy." He had turned his attention to the bulletin board before Naruto even glanced at the glossy ad for their show.

"Whatever, douche bag. Have a shitty morning." Naruto saluted and jogged away, determined to make it to Kakashi's.

Sasuke shot the retreating man a single glance before stapling the flier to the board impassively.

Naruto's elation had deflated considerably as the day went on and he heaved a sigh as he made his way back to his apartment.

After his brush with that punk-ass loon - the dark haired singer of some local band - all he wanted was to celebrate the recollection of his dream bird's color with Kakashi, but of course the man wasn't there as he should have been.

Iruka apologized to Naruto a thousand times over for the supposed professional's habitual lateness and asked if Naruto would like to leave a message but the blond smiled and shook his head. After all, his appointment was scheduled for tomorrow. He could wait.

Class hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped and Sakura had snubbed him once again when he asked her to go to the movies with him but all of this was okay, because he was on his way to see his godfather who had just underwent surgery to remove the last of his cancer.

Naruto had a bounce in his step as he walked through the immaculate hospital hallways, offering up grins and waves at any whose ailing eyes fell upon him. He threw the door wide to room 326, not incredibly mindful of the room's other occupant in recovery. Thankfully, Jiraiya had the room to himself.

Naruto's shining cerulean eyes landed on the white haired old man and a wide grin spread across his scarred cheeks. "'Ey, ya old man! How are things?"

As Naruto plopped into the uncomfortable chair beside the hospital bed, Jiraiya gave a raspy chuckle. "I'm fine, kiddo. Recovery is always the best part, ya know. Those nurses…" He wiggled his eyebrows and whistled. Naruto laughed and ran his fingers through his chaotic tresses, eyes glinting with genuine mirth.

"That's good, that's good. I um… I brought you something." He bent down and unzipped his backpack to pull out a black plastic bag that was buried under everything else. He handed the bag to Jiraiya who tousled Naruto's hair and smiled before even opening the gift.

Jiraiya pulled a DVD case out of the bag and despite his midsection being tightly wrapped and stitched shut just hours beforehand, the man shot up in his bed and held the movie tight in his burly clutches. Wires were pulled from him and machines began beeping frantically. Naruto furrowed his brow and chuckled rather nervously as he tried to attach the monitors back onto his godfather.

"The Playboy 50th Anniversary two-disc collector's edition!" Jiraiya's eyes shone and he grinned wildly, seemingly ignoring his godson fluttering about and attempting to get him to lay back down.

"Seriously, man, calm down! You just had surgery! If I would have known you'd freak out this much I wouldn't have given you it." Naruto reached across Jiraiya's chest to plant a cord haphazardly upon his arm. "Six-hundred beautiful women!" Jiraiya cried in bliss, again ignoring Naruto.

"Never an easy one, are you?" Jiraiya's surgeon sauntered in the room with his clipboard tucked under one arm and deftly calmed the machines by replacing all of their cords correctly. "Ah, Itachi! Look what my wonderful godson gave to me as a gift for living!" Jiraiya presented the DVD set to Itachi as if it were a gold bar.

"It's Dr. Uchiha." The long haired raven replied, setting down his clipboard and pulling a flashlight from his shirt pocket. He gently pushed away the box set and attempted to examine Jiraiya's eyes and proceed with the habitual check-up routine for recovery patients but Jiraiya was having none of it. He shoved the set back in front of Itachi's line of vision. "Six-hundred women, Itachi! This boy loves me."

"He certainly knows you well. Now I'm a very busy man, Jiraiya, so if you could please just let me finish…"

"Of course, of course. The sooner you finish, the sooner I can appreciate the elegant beauty of the female kind." Jiraiya finally encouraged and allowed Itachi to examine him.

"So, doc… how did things go?" Naruto questioned, settling into his chair and pulling out a package of Twizzlers from a smaller compartment on his backpack to munch on.

"Fairly well. The tumor has been removed completely but, unfortunately, so has roughly fifty percent of his liver." Itachi's silken voice drawled as he gently pressed on Jiraiya's stomach in a few select places.

"And… what does that mean?" Naruto probed, the worry becoming audible in his tone. "

"Nothing so serious." The tall Uchiha straightened and turned to Naruto, offering a small, kind smile at his fretting. "Mostly, it means a longer stay in the hospital so we can monitor the organ as it grows back and ensure that he's eating properly. I'll have a nurse sit down with you and go over things in depth sometime next week as I have a feeling he'll need someone to make sure he's taking care of himself properly."

"Alright, thanks doc." Naruto grinned and Itachi nodded, grabbed his clipboard, and shut the door behind him briskly.

"Put it in for me, Naruto." Jiraiya handed the DVD to his godson with a smile. Naruto removed the disc and looked at it with uncertainty. "Is this even allowed here, ya pervy old man?"

"Quit worryin' about the rules, boy, and put the damn disc in!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and slid the disc in the television that was propped too high in the corner of the room, muttering under his breath. "…Not worried about the rules, worried about your senile old ass…"

The blond hit 'play' and turned to sling his pack over his shoulder. "I have to go, lots of homework to do and I have a few odd jobs tomorrow early before work. Call me if you need anything. And enjoy your porn!" He waved and laughed when Jiraiya made a fist at him even though his eyes were glued to the television. Naruto shut the door behind him quietly and made his way home just as dusk was falling.

"How many times must we go over this, Sasuke? You're twenty and you don't even have a place of your own!"

Sasuke scoffed. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Watch your mouth. Your brother had his own apartment when he was eighteen. Is every request we ask of you just too much?" Fugaku inquired harshly from his end of the mahogany table.

The young Uchiha simply glared at his father, his arms folded neatly over his chest as he slouched slightly in his chair. He had heard every speech his parents could think to give him at least twice his past week and not a single word had shaken his resolve.

An awkward silence filled the dining room as Fugaku and Sasuke glared at each other over their dinner plates.

Mikoto cleared her throat and daintily patted her mouth with a napkin. "Sasuke, all your father is trying to say is that… maybe you could make your band into more of a hobby instead of your full focus. It would be far more productive and rewarding in the end."

Sasuke's eyes flashed over to his mother's and his scowl deepened. Abruptly, he stood from the table and slammed his fist down, plates shaking with the violent impact. "Neither of you will ever understand me. I'm not Itachi so stop trying to force me into a mold of him, damn it. My dream _is_ that band. And I'll make it with or without either of your help." He turned and stormed down the hallway of the house that was far too large for a family of three.

Before he reached the stairwell he heard his mother call after him, "We just want what's best for you!"

"Like hell you do." Sasuke muttered under his breath and mounted the stairs, two at a time, before locking himself in his room.

He was far beyond frustrated. His parents always regarded him as Itachi's shadow - like he should be following in his elder brother's _exact_ footsteps for all eternity. Itachi was anything and everything that Fugaku and Mikoto could have hoped for in a son. And Sasuke… he was anything and everything that reeked of failure.

The raven laid down with a heavy sigh on his plush bed and folded his hands behind his head. He would make damn sure that he got signed before he was cut off from his parents funds.

"I know the color of the bird, Kakashi! It's blue!"

"Hm, blue? What shade of blue?"

"Like… a light kind of blue. Maybe sort of like a Blue Jay?"

"I see… You certainly seem happy about it, Naruto, carting around the paper like you are."

"Yeah. … Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it, man."

"So, do you think that to you, the paper is like a physical token of the memory?"

"What memory? Of the bird?"

"Your nightmare. I believe it's part of a memory from your childhood."

"Really!"

"Yes, but I wouldn't be so excited. You do say it's a nightmare, after all."

"Yeah…"

"But you have remembered something of it. That is a small step of success."

"Mmm."

"… Are you going to let me hypnotize you anytime soon?"

"… No."

"You still haven't progressed past that wall. You will never remember, Naruto, if you're too scared to."

"Hypnotism sounds so stupid! It probably won't even work and I'll feel like an idiot for even trying it. That's all, dude."

"If you say so."

"You don't believe me."

"No, I don't."

"Fine… but really."

"Alright."

"… My godfather made it out of surgery. They removed all the cancer."

"That is really wonderful news. I'm glad to hear he's doing well. What about your friends?"

"My friends… they're fine. You know, this random ass dude caught this paper when the wind took it out of my hands and he bribed me into coming to some concert of his this weekend with all my friends just to get the paper back. He's seriously a fucking lunatic."

"Are you going to go?"

"Wait, why are you laughing?"

"Ah, nevermind it. So are you?"

"I told him I would… and I never go back on my word, so I guess so. But if they suck, I'm out."

"I see. Well, our time for today is already up, Naruto."

"Really? … And that's it, no lame homework assignment from you to like, analyze every dream I have or anything?"

"Nope."

"… Alright! See ya, Kakashi."

"Enjoy your concert."

"Ah, Sasuke. The appointment I look forward to most each Friday."

"Hysterical."

"As moody as ever, I see."

"Didn't you hear me when I said that just because my brother is a friend -"

"Yeah, yeah. Treat you like any other client. And so, how is Taka?"

"Good. We've got a concert tomorrow night right in the middle of the square. Prime time, prime spot."

"Hm. And how are things in the way of finding someone to represent you to an agency?"

"… I'm going to get signed."

"Yes, I know."

"There's a good chance we'll be overhead at this concert tomorrow."

"Are you banking all your luck on this one opportunity?"

"I'm not stupid, Kakashi."

"I never said that you were, Sasuke."

"You're obviously implying it."

"And your parents?"

"I don't want to fucking talk about them. They're not even worth my time."

"This is a therapy session, you pay to come here and discuss things with me. Now tell me about what's been happening with them."

"I don't pay you. Itachi pays you."

"Alright, alright. Less for me to write down. … How are you and Itachi, then?"

"Fine."

"…O-kay then. Sasuke, why do you come here?"

"How is this relevant."

"The only things you truly ever talk about with me are your band and, occasionally, when you really have the stick shoved up there, your brother. I rarely ever hear a word of what I believe are your true problems and if it weren't for Itachi, I wouldn't ever know what's going on between your parents and yourself."

"If I wanted to talk about them, I would."

"…You know they love you."

"You don't know shit."

"You're obviously going to believe what you want regardless of what I say. … How about we end the session here today, unless you're going to open up about something else?"

"Fuck you, Kakashi."

"Have a good one."

"Itachi. Are you home?" Sasuke walked briskly down the palm lined sidewalk with his cell to his ear and a scowl plastered upon his lips. The sun was large and orange in its setting on the horizon, casting a pink hue over everything.

"Indeed I am. What do you need, Sasuke?"

"I'm coming over." Sasuke's deep, silken voice was final and Itachi paused momentarily on the other end of the line.

"Did something happen?"

"No. I just don't want to be at home right now."

"… Of course. I'll leave the door unlocked." With that, Itachi hung up, as did Sasuke. Neither Uchiha brother was ever much for words.

Sasuke arrived at Itachi's luxurious apartment in less than fifteen minutes and, by then, had calmed down enough not the slam the front door when he closed it.

Sasuke found his elder brother in the kitchen putting one of his various and immaculate skills to use: cooking. The young raven took a seat at the bar without a word and began watching his brother. Itachi glanced up from slicing a pepper only for a moment before resuming his task.

"You're not going to ask me why I don't want to be at home?" Sasuke demanded rather suddenly when the constant, repetitive sound of the chopping was beginning to grate upon his nerves.

"No. I figured if you wanted to talk about it, you would." Itachi answered as he went over to the steaming pot on the stove and dumped the colorful, diced pepper in.

Inwardly, Sasuke was praising God that Itachi was not going to push him to do something that he didn't want to do, much like every other person in his life. He had quite enough of that lately and was thankful that his brother understood him.

The two ravens ate their dinner in a comfortable silence, Sasuke finally simmering down from the day. The meal was, of course, ridiculously delicious and he ate slowly, allowing his mind to wander and linger over anything his thoughts might stumble upon.

After dinner, Sasuke stood beside Itachi over the kitchen sink, drying the dishes that his brother washed, he felt something inexplicably bubbling up within him. His throat felt sealed shut by a boulder and his eyes were burning.

Without a word to his brother, he gently placed the dish on the counter and headed for the bathroom, incredibly ashamed and frustrated with himself for suddenly feeling like tears might spill from his onyx eyes for no reason he could name.

He locked the door behind him and gripped the sink hard enough to turn his knuckles white. His reflection stared back at him and he looked surprisingly impassive, even to himself, as he tried to quell the storm raging within.

However, trying was not a enough.

The tears spilled down his porcelain cheeks of their own accord as a single sob tore itself from his throat and he heaved with the force of it.

And he hated himself.

He hated himself for being weak. For not being able to prevent himself from falling to pieces. For harboring fear that he wouldn't get signed and for feeling like maybe he really couldn't make it on his own. That his dream was unobtainable no matter how hard he pushed to achieve it. Because nobody believed in him.

'No more.' He pleaded with himself, shaking his head harshly and squeezing his eyes shut against the flow of the tears, the sob leaving him gasping for air. He was utterly sick with himself.

He turned away from the mirror and wiped his face on the plush, burgundy towel furiously. He threw the door to the bathroom open and was going to make a b-line straight for the door, but Itachi was standing directly in front of him, just inches away from the door's threshold.

If he was surprised that Sasuke had caught him, it did not show on his face. Sasuke went on the defensive immediately, embarrassed to know that his elder brother, the perfect one he was constantly compared to, had caught him crying. He tilted his head down and a dark, deep scowl settled upon his lips.

"Move." He demanded of Itachi as he tried to push past but Itachi caught Sasuke by the shoulder and forced him to remain in place.

"Stay. You can sleep in the guest room tonight." Itachi's voice held no detectable emotion, but it was quiet.

Sasuke scoffed and tried to rip his brother's hand from his shoulder. "Fuck no. I don't want your charity. "

"It's not charity, Sasuke. I would like you to stay here with me. I would enjoy the company of my little brother."

"Why, so you can revel in how much better you are than me? I don't think so." The young raven finally succeeded in pushing past Itachi and stormed towards the front door.

"Where is this coming from? I am not better than you, Sasuke. Please, stay." Itachi followed after him, his brow furrowed in concern.

Sasuke's mind was already made up. He couldn't stay even if he wanted to. His brother had caught him crying like a helpless infant, locked away in his bathroom. His pride would never allow him to stay despite the hell he knew he would be returning to.

He swung the apartment door wide and Itachi caught it, preventing Sasuke from slamming it shut. The younger brother took a moment to glare before he turned and sealed the elevator doors.

Itachi stood there in silence, his eyes fixated upon the spotless steel doors. Finally, he sighed and shut the door, pulling his phone from his jeans.

'I am leaving the door unlocked.' He texted his little brother before pushing his dark bangs from his face.


	3. Chapter 3

So, there was a huge gap between when I posted (and wrote) chapter two and chapter three (as if you all couldn't tell upon reading this chap) but I'm content with the progress.

The song is 'Everybody Knows it's Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight' by The Go Find. It's over on youtube if you're curious.

Oh, and that number is totally random. Don't go dialing it, children. Resist temptation.

Comments/reviews are sexy.

* * *

Backstage, Sasuke swatted absently at a mosquito as he anxiously eyed the clock.

It was 7:42 pm on a Saturday night in the Square. Their show wasn't until eight, but forty-five minutes ago, all of Taka and the stage hands could hear the commotion outside of a substantial crowd. The raven was torn between elation that his band could finally grow its wings tonight and a suffocating fear that if he didn't get signed from this gig, it was virtually the end of the road.

Perched in an uncomfortable chair in front of the large make-up mirror, he nodded his head minutely as he hummed their song line-up. Obsidian eyes closed as his fingers kept rhythm on his thigh.

Because of his parents, tonight was forced to be the aggregation of every move he'd made towards bringing his dream to fruition for five and a half years of his life. _Five and a half fucking years. _Sasuke moved from nodding his head to shaking it with a small, mocking smile, still humming.

Not that'd he would give up should they not be signed tonight.

No, that wasn't really an option. It would just be a rather large bump in the road as he'd have to concede to either doing something his parents wanted him to do - which would be akin to defeat in his books - or losing any and all financial support from them, in which case he'd be forced to get some crappy job and split his time between it and the band. Unfortunately, that meant a lot of things that weren't good for Taka. Like a major cutback on budget, a cheaper (and of course smaller) studio to practice in and they'd have to only perform in-city gigs. Gas, of course, was murder on the budget anyway and without Sasuke covering the expenses to haul the equipment, it'd be impossible to go nearly anywhere.

Aside from a signing, there was one other thing that the raven hoped for this evening. He hoped that Itachi would be here. Despite not speaking to him since the incident at his apartment, he anticipated that his elder brother would come and watch him perform one of the biggest gigs he's ever had. He could only hope though.

"Sasuke." A gentle hand on his shoulder caused him to look up into Juugo's kind eyes. The larger man smiled down at him encouragingly, saying more than either of them knew would be heard in the form of words. "We're on in fifteen."

Sasuke nodded and watched Juugo's back as he retreated to undoubtedly tune his bass. The Uchiha rose, squared his shoulders and set his jaw, shaking off all the negative thoughts and all the pressure that had been tying him to the chair. As he moved to tune his ruby red guitar, there was only one bizarre thought that surged through his mind.

Would that blond idiot he met at the beach really come tonight?

"Dude!" Kiba shouted, attempting in earnest to be heard over the surprising commotion while simultaneously trying not to lose Naruto to the crowd. "This is kind of sweet and all but you said we were gonna hit up the bars on 42nd!"

"Eh, I know but -" Naruto turned and rolled his eyes as Kiba seemed to be swallowed by the swarm. He reached through the bodies and grabbed the brunet's wrist to yank him forward. "If I _told_ you I had to go to a concert at the Square, you wouldn't have come!" The whiskered man shouted near Kiba's ear as they shoved their way to the fountain in the center of the circular green.

"Damn right! No one knows these bands!"

"Please! Look at all these people." Naruto rebutted, though Kiba's words held some verifiable truth. "And just because no one knows them doesn't mean they're not good!"

And like true rebels, the two of them climbed the massive statue in the center of the trickling fountain to perch upon the stone man's meaty leg. For the life of him, Naruto couldn't figure out why more people weren't already up here, but he shrugged it off as the stage lights stroked the crowd and the concert began.

Things were always better after the opener.

Nerves were put to rest after the raven belted out the notes to the first song; after the instruments settled into the player's hands and after an understanding was established with the crowd, like a long missed friendship. It was something nearly unexplainable, but Sasuke could feel it like it struck his very core. It was both a comfort and a rush and a feeling he wouldn't trade for the world.

Elation welled within him at the sight of throngs of people bouncing to their music. It was undoubtedly the biggest crowd Taka had procured themselves - and damn it, it _better _be because the youngest Uchiha paid a fucking fortune for this opportunity.

But because of that, everything was ridiculously… perfect. As he wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced around at the band during a particularly wicked drum break, he saw excitement and, most importantly, _hope_. Pure, unfiltered, exuberant hope.

He couldn't stop the smirk from forming as he lifted a fist into the air and Karin counted out the tempo of their fifth song. He took a deep breath and began to sing.

_"Everybody knows it's gonna happen  
Only not tonight  
The city is sleeping  
But I'm awake"_

Sasuke's voice fell like fine velvet over the expanse of the park, lulling the people into his rich melody and echoing across the ocean. Girls swooned and guys envied. The raven ate it up.

_"The neon lights are weeping  
They're screaming it out  
Like friendly fire  
Leaning east and far away down"_

The keyboard chimed in perfect sync as Juugo played it masterfully. Sasuke turned his obsidian orbs to the side slightly, lidded as he sang, noting as Suigetsu plucked his bass and nodded with a fanged grin at the extras Sasuke paid (much too generously, he thought) to fill the sax part. Rather than have a recorded version playing through the speakers, he hired them to play the piece that Suigetsu and Sasuke duo'd when writing the song. They looked more professional this way.

_"Oh, let me take you back  
To the 90s  
When we were teens  
Oh, no mountain caps  
Or friendly fire  
But secret desire"_

It was Taka's first mellow song of the night and Sasuke couldn't have expected the vibe he was feeding off of from the crowd. He backed away from the mic during the instrumental break and nodded his head slowly as he played his guitar, just letting the music ride, milking the moment, milking the feeling.

His mind wandered briefly, curiously stumbling upon the question of whether or not his brother was out there or even that blond bird boy, witnessing this moment of success. They shifted after a moment to his parents and he wondered what they would think if they were here right now - what they would say to him after they heard Taka's music and breathed in the ambience that Sasuke instilled in the crowd.

A sick feeling settled in his stomach when he thought that maybe it wouldn't matter what they heard or felt here at this concert, they'd always have something to slander Taka with. Raven locks whipped fiercely with the ocean's breeze and he was thankfully snapped out of the cynical trance. Opening his eyes, he took in the swaying crowd.

Fuck them. _This_, right here and right now, was Sasuke's dream. This sensation, this sound, this crowd - this is what he craved and he'd be damned if he let the mere thought of his parents damage this moment.

Because in this moment, he was proving himself worthy of his dream.

That's all that mattered.

The concert had officially ended after two encores. Naruto hopped down from the statue, followed closely by Kiba, and he turned to grin at the brunet before shoving his hands in his pockets. Kiba quirked a brow at him expectantly.

"Told ya." Was all the blond said before turning on his heel and pushing his way through the crowd. "Hey!" Kiba cried, jogging after him and snatching a handful of his shirt. They still had to shout over the riot of people and though the two of them sat through the show unexpectedly quiet, undoubtedly surprised by how fantastic the music was, Kiba's voice was hoarse from the cheering nonetheless. "You were right man, it was a pretty decent show. I'll give it to ya. But you're not just going to ditch me after I sat through a surprise concert with you! You're coming to the bars with me!"

Naruto waved a hand behind him and Kiba felt his shoulders shaking as if he were laughing. "Yeah, definitely! Go on ahead, I gotta go meet up with that bastard who was singing and let him know I was here."

"Uhh… what the hell?" Kiba questioned, curious. "You know him?"

Naruto shrugged and gave a grin over his shoulder. "Sort of. Now go, dude! I'll meet you at the Blue Moon."

The brunet paused to give him a look that _clearly_ read 'you better fucking be there' and Naruto turned to retort with an expression somewhere along the lines of, 'what the hell, stop doubting me douche' while motioning for him to shoo. Kiba turned on his heel with a small smile but his blond companion snatched his wrist in a flash and jabbed a finger into his chest.

Naruto smirked, his scarred cheeks wrinkling on one side as he shouted, "The prettiest girl there? She's mine. So don't even think about it." Kiba guffawed and snatched his wrist back, already weaving through the people before shouting back, "Yeah right!"

Sasuke was hot, sweaty and physically exhausted but he radiated with pride. Suigetsu was going _insane_ all over him - hanging off his shoulder and punching him in the chest and hell, he was even getting along with Karin at the present moment - and Sasuke didn't mind any of it. He probably would have even smiled at them except he was an Uchiha, and Uchiha's didn't smile. But he was smirking out his ass.

"Yeah man! Juugo your riff sounded fucking _amazing _in 'Islands!'" Suigetsu jabbed the tall man in the arm with a toothy smirk and didn't even wait for a response before turning back to Sasuke. "What'd you think about the adlib I did for 'Nights?'"

The raven nodded as he was jostled by the other man. "It was nice. I think we should write it in." Suigetsu pumped a fist in the air victoriously.

Amongst the midst of the members of Taka riding on the high of the night, Sasuke noticed a commotion in the back where the stagehands were coiling the wires. He strode away from the group just as Suigetsu complained about being tired and Karin promptly laid into him.

As he approached, his brows furrowed slightly. "C'mon man… just… let me in." The apparently offending blond grunted as he pushed against what Sasuke would have deemed unnecessary security guards except he was being proved otherwise. "I know that bastard that was singing tonight!" He tried to explain.

Courtesy of the articulately spoken 'bastard,' Sasuke immediately registered who it was and his smirk returned.

"Well well. If it isn't my biggest groupie." He seemed to saunter over to the security guards and nodded to them that the blond could come backstage. Naruto glared and straightened his shirt as he approached Sasuke. "Dude, being an asshole is seriously a bad habit of yours. Just sayin'."

"And being an idiot seems to be one of yours. Who tries to come backstage immediately after a concert?"

Naruto scoffed. "I didn't know I was trying to get in to see such a celebrity." And despite himself, Naruto found that Sasuke's smirk was strangely contagious as his lips quirked into a smile.

There was a small moment of silence between the two of them as they just grinned at each other. It didn't feel awkward to either of them.

The staring match was suddenly interrupted as Naruto's gaze flickered behind Sasuke's shoulder. Naruto held up a hand in greeting to the band and shouted, "Kick ass show!" Receiving a fair amount of raucous approval, he beamed.

"Sasuke, who's your friend?" Karin hollered with a hand on her hip.

Sasuke shrugged, his dark eyes fixing themselves onto the man's face. He really didn't know the answer to that question and he was settling to reply 'the groupie,' but before he could, the blond raised a brow. "Sasuke, huh?" It looked like Naruto was tasting the name as he nodded slightly, eyes locked with the singer.

"I'm Naruto." He called back to Karin, but cerulean eyes were still on Sasuke, who at this point, really couldn't help himself.

"Naruto the Groupie." Sasuke amended.

Taka seemed to get a kick out of that and Naruto shoved at a muscled shoulder, miffed. "Damn it man, stop that. …I feel sorry that you have to work with such an asshole!" He called to the band and almost instantly received an 'I like him!' from Suigetsu.

Naruto turned back with a cocky smirk to Sasuke and shifted his weight. "Well, I just wanted to prove to you that I came."

It was Sasuke's turn to quirk a brow. "You _really_ came backstage just to show me that you were here." He clarified.

"Yep. I'm a man of my word."

"And your friends?"

"Friend, actually." Naruto corrected, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Anddd he's headed to a bar on 42nd. I'm supposed to meet him." There was a slight pause as the blond tilted his head to the side. "…Wanna come with?"

Sasuke debated, glancing between Taka, the instruments and Naruto. He shrugged, finding no reason to decline. "Why not."

Two hours later, Sasuke was effectively buzzed. Naruto sat beside him, pretty wasted, and had prodded and pestered him for the past ten to fifteen minutes about dancing with some girl. "Naruto, I said no."

"What the helllll!" Naruto drawled, grasping Sasuke's bicep and attempting to shake some sense into him. Or something. "Look at those _legs_, man. What's wrong with you!"

Sasuke shrugged him off and downed his second shot, chasing it with beer. "I don't need any more groupies."

Really, the joke was old and Sasuke had tired of it an hour ago but Naruto's reaction was far from unamusing. "Fucking hell!" Naruto slammed his glass upon the tabletop dramatically. "You!" A tanned hand flew to point an accusing finger right at Sasuke's face, even though he sat a mere foot away. "You're just jealous!"

Sasuke nearly choked on his drink, eyes wide in surprise. "Of _what_, moron?"

Naruto drunkenly ran his hands along his puffed out chest. "My body."

The deep chuckle that slipped past the raven's silken lips was something he'd attribute to the alcohol.

Somehow, despite how obscenely opposite Naruto seemed from himself, Sasuke found he was bizarrely comfortable around the blond. It sort of irritated him because he couldn't understand it, but thanks to the buzz and such an amazing night, he filed the thought away to brood over later.

"Fine then. If you're not going to, I will." Determination set upon tan features and Sasuke smirked as the blond strode only slightly wobbly over to the girl.

Sasuke glared at his back for a moment before rolling his eyes and heading for the bathroom to take a leak. After he finished washing his hands and muttering darkly at the empty paper towel dispenser, he fished his cell from inside his pocket and lazily checked his messages.

He was surprised to see that he missed two calls and immediately frowned. He could just imagine the angry messages from his parents about where he was and why he wasn't home. Retreating into the far corner of the bathroom by the sink, he found a signal and dialed voicemail, mentally groaning.

The first was from Itachi, congratulating him on both the turn out and the quality of their show. Which meant he had been there. The raven closed his eyes and smirked at the sweet feeling of triumph. Praise from Itachi was truly the best in the world.

Moving slightly so he stood in front of the mirror over the sink, he absently fussed with a strand of his hair as the obnoxious computerized woman took her sweet time moving onto the next message.

"Hello Sasuke. This is Tayuya with Sound Records and I'm calling in regards of an agent of ours that scouted Taka's show tonight at the Square off Main Street. He would like to set up a meeting with you to discuss a label deal, so please contact our branch office there in Myrtle Beach at 567-3784 to set up an appointment as soon as possible. Thank you."

Sasuke nearly dropped his phone in the sink.


End file.
